Hot Under the Collar
by Mr.WilliamJamesBooma
Summary: Jeremy wears a collar around his neck and some wonder why. Slash


**Hot Under the Collar**

Jeremy wore it proudly.

He wore it 24/7 only removing it to take a shower. It was a black, leather collar and it fit nice and snug around his neck. It'd been a present (probably bought at some Hot Topic's type store). It was a cherished gift which had only been bought as a gag gift. The gifter had never in their dreams imagined that Jeremy would actually wear it so devotionally.

Elena, stopping him in the school hallway the first time she laid eyes on his neckwear, was her typical bold self and came right out and ask him what he thought he was wearing. "You're not a dog, Jer" she had tried to explain after telling him he should take it off. Bonnie and Caroline had stood there with her and they both kept their mouths shut. Bonnie just assumed it had something to do with a girl. All the strange stuff guys did, especially teenage guys, could nine-times-out-of-ten be traced back to some girl. She was half right. Caroline however, unknowing to Jeremy, could smell his secret lover's scent all over the black collar. It was definitely not from a girl.

"It's My Neck" he'd told her in a rage which spurred from seemingly nowhere. He turned around and walked off down the hall in the opposite direction, even if it was the wrong direction. Bonnie said something to Elena that Jeremy couldn't hear or care to hear and after that Elena never made a mention of his collar again to his face.

Aunt Jenna was even less fond of it than what Elena was. While she never told him out right to take it off, figuring this was some new stupid teenage phase he was going through, she did make an effort of trying to find out why he wanted to wear it and where he'd gotten it from. "It was a gift" was all she could get out of him when it came to the damn collar. She continued with her questions for the next week even though she never got anywhere with them. Then the questions stopped and Jeremy was glad. He figured she'd just grown tired of asking, but in truth it was because Elena told her what Bonnie had told Elena, Jeremy had a secret girlfriend.

Damon had the most unusual response of them all. But then it's Damon. The vampire just grinned and stated "I think that that would be more appropriate on your boyfriend". Damon took another swig of whatever alcohol it was he was drinking. Jeremy had never told Damon about his partner so how had Damon known?

"Please, his stench is all over you and that bondage wear. Actually Elena should get one of those things for my pathetic brother."

Stefan pretended like he didn't notice it, even though he could easy smell the werewolf's scent all over it. Stefan wisely had decided it keep his nose out of it and act dumb when Elena asked if he could figure out who'd given the collar to Jeremy.

Alaric, after seeing it for the first time told Jeremy when no one else was around that if he ever needed to talk about it, than he was there for him. Jeremy knew that Alaric knew his personal secret. Alaric had found out when he discovered Jeremy and his boyfriend making out in Tyler's room during one of the Lockwood's numerous evening social events. They were both past buzzed that night. The next morning when Jeremy tried to sneak into the house at 3:00 a.m. Alaric was waiting and they talked. Jeremy confessed everything and the two chatted until Jenna had come down stairs to start breakfast three hours later.

Then there was Tyler, the boy who had given him the collar and stolen Jeremy's heart. Tyler found the collar to be very hot and never asked Jeremy once why he insisted on continually wearing it. He had no need too, he already knew. To Jeremy it was his way of saying to the world that he belonged, that he was more than an orphan, a brother, a nephew or some broken kid who needed to be watched with a careful eye. He belonged to somebody. He belonged somewhere. He truly mattered. It was Jeremy's way of secretly saying to the world that he was Tyler's and nothing was going to change that.


End file.
